Hila Plitmann, Soprano 
The Eastman Philharmonia 
Leonard Slatkin, Conductor 
The New Hollywood String Quartet

JEFF BEAL The Paper Lined Shack

Music inspired by and using the text from the diary of Beal's great grandmother Della, who was widowed suddenly at a young age with six children, but persevered, raising her family on a ten acre farm out West in Idaho. Deciding on narrative song cycle for Hila for his commission with Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony (which premiered The Paper Lined Shack), Beal went in search of a strong female-driven text and he recalled Della's writings and the compelling vision of strength, love, humor, and humility in her story.